Ramsey Solution Caps Series of Wins for Ward

He took three races on the day at Kentucky Downs on the foreign-style turf course. Those victories included the $300,000 Tapit Stakes with Ramsey Solution, Race 2 with Infinite, and Race 3 with Royal Approval.

Ramsey Solution outran Midnight Tea Time by a length in the event, and he was joined by jockey Gerardo Corrales, who was the rider in the other two races as well. Corrales had Ramsey Solution in a good position in the Tapit, which runs at a mile and 70 yards. 

The Tapit was restricted to horses that have not won a stakes race in 2020. 

The 4-year-old gelding performed well over the unique course, which is a struggle for many horses. 

Ramsey Solution sat in third early as the fight for the lead between Get Western and Morocco ramped up through an early opening quarter-mile in :21.94. Ramsey Solution moved into second on the outside, and he took command right after a half-mile in :45.17.

The runner moved into the lead with six furlongs in 1:08.35, and was never challenged down the stretch. He finished the race in 1:36.38 on a firm course and paid $18.20 in his stakes debut.

“Very happy,” said Corrales. “Good horse, nice horse.”

Corrales is a 24-year-old rider from Panama, and the Tapit gave him one of his biggest career victories. He was the leading rider last summer and fall at Thistledown and Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, and he eventually switched over to the Kentucky circuit this year.

The jockey tied for eighth in the recent Ellis Park meet.

Midnight Tea Time, a longshot, finished second in the Tapit, a half-length ahead of Hembree. English Bee finished fourth as the 3-1 favorite. 

Rounding out the order were Split the Wickets, Temple, Morocco, Big Score, Get Western, and Hawkish.

Ward was already confident about Ramsey Solution coming into the race, but the victory made him feel even better about the 4-year-old. He took an allowance race at Churchill Downs early in the spring before a disappointing fourth-place finish at Saratoga Race Course on July 18.

The son of Real Solution is a homebred for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, and he didn’t debut until last October because of a chip in his knee. After finishing seventh in his first race, the runner continued to improve.

"I've been really excited about this guy from the word 'go,'" Ward said. "I'm glad he finally came through. I really loved him the other day up at Saratoga and he kind of gave me the finger."

"I'm excited how he came through for Mr. Ramsey. He's the guy who kind of made me back here. To come through for him on a big money, big day like this, it makes him happy more than anybody."

Ramsey Solution is the first stakes winner to come out of the Dynaformer mare Dynarhythm. She has seven foals to race with six being winners, including Fear the Kitten, who grade 3-placed two times as a 3-year-old in 2013.

Real Solution, trained by Chad Brown, is a son of Kitten’s Joy raced by the Ramseys. He won the 2013 Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) via disqualification and took the Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes (G1T) a year later. Real Solution stands at Calumet Farm, and his 2020 fee was $7,500.